Becoming a minimalist is trendy these days. It is a very cool trend to be on, and I hope this trend lasts. It has so many benefits that I feel that everyone should be jumping on the bandwagon. Being a minimalist doesn’t mean you don’t own anything. [click_to_tweet tweet=”One of the philosophies of minimalism I adopted is the fact that whatever you own should have meaning, and you love it.” quote=”One of the philosophies of minimalism I adopted is the fact that whatever you own should have meaning, and you love it.”]
I’m not big on labels, and that’s why I wouldn’t call myself a minimalist, but someone who likes to take some philosophies and ideas from this movement and incorporate it into my own life.
Minimalism doesn’t mean getting rid of every possession you own, but instead, keep the things which you hold dear and have value to you.
One remarkable thing about minimalist is that if you are beginning this journey, you can make some money.
As the saying goes, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure.
I’m sure that you have many items you own that another person would find valuable.
As I started releasing some of the items which no longer served me, I was able to make money along the way.
Let’s get into how minimalism can bring you some extra income.
Selling Your Items
When you transition to minimalism, you look through your home, and you start to see how many items you own. It starts to feel overwhelming the number of things you have accumulated over time.
Slowly start to go through your items one by one, and ask yourself how you feel about them. Do you feel the excitement when you hold that item/see that item? If it feels great to own, then keep it. If you feel nothing towards it, or it doesn’t bring joy to you anymore, thank it and set it aside.
Go through this with all the items in your household — every single detail.
Then start to compile your items based on categories: electronics, clothing, household appliances, furniture.
Then put your items online on all the online selling applications and social media – Kijiji, Facebook market place, Letgo.
You can also have a garage sale, but I think the most money you will make is by selling it online.
It will take work, and a bit of time, so you have to be patient, but you can get money back from all those items you’ve purchased.
With your clothing, you can send them to places that purchase clothing. Most women I know own many articles of name brand clothing and accessories. If they are in good condition, and in-demand, they hold a higher value.
When you become minimalistic, you start to shed your attachments to name brand items as well. If you don’t, it’s okay, that’s not the point. The point is that for many people, it becomes natural to release attachment to things. And so the name brand items we own may not hold value for us anymore, but they may hold value to someone else.
Sharing Your Space
Becoming a minimalist alters your view on things. Not only are you not attached to your items, but you no longer are attached to your space. You have this sense of detachment and freedom.
You feel more comfortable sharing things, because of the detachment to things. So you can start to think of sharing your space. If you have access to extra space, how about sharing a room? Or offer couch surfing.
What goes hand in hand with many minimalists, is that they are more about experiences than things, and so they tend to travel and explore outdoors more. SO being a minimalist, you are barely in your space, so why not share it with someone else and make money as well.
Sharing Your Journey
There is plenty of space right now to share your journey as a minimalist if you are comfortable doing so. By doing so, not only are you sharing something wonderful with the world, but you can create a business out of it as well.
I have come across many blogs, and I get many item recommendations from them. They share their products, and many other products they share are sustainable materials, multi-purpose items.
While they share their journey and experience, they are also making money by educating others on how to be minimalist and enjoy life more.
Saving Money
I know this article is about making money as a minimalist, but essentially you are making money back by cutting back a lot of your expenses.
By not purchasing clothing regularly, and not being attached to things, so you don’t feel the need to buy the latest tech (of course, if it’s your thing, there is no judgment). Typically becoming minimalist, you are spending less money, since you take pleasure in the simple things in life and enjoy the experience.
You no longer attached yourself with status and trying to keep up with the Joneses, so you don’t feel the need to own a big home, the latest car, or tech gear. And by doing so, you put money back into your pocket, when you change your habits of what you used to purchase.
Creativity
Clearing your things clears your mind. Your mind is less distracted when you have fewer objects in your life. You also have to think less when you get ready when you have fewer clothes to select.
So what happens is that your mind is free to be creative, and ideas flow in. Many minimalists are digital nomads, or if they work a typical job, they have more free time to be creative. Being creative can make you money, and usually, it happens without even trying.
You can sell your art, or you have this freedom to start a business.
There is a different mentality when you have a clear mind. When you are not confined, and you don’t feel tired and drained in your day to day from all the clutter around you.
Being free from clutter frees your mind to do things you love and are passionate about, and when you do things this way, you are inspired to create, and as a result, you make money.
Conclusion
As you can see, it may not be an action result base on making money as a minimalist. It’s not like having a job, where you work for a set amount of hours, and you get paid for those hours.
By freeing yourself from the things that way you down in your life, you can be creative, sell your items, as you let go of the attachment to material things, be open to connecting with people, share your space and doing so can organically make and save money!
